The Nitrate Project

This month’s theme is Awakening Curiosity. This could be a first step toward a more creative and fulfilling life, as well as a way to open our minds to new ideas and experiences. But in a scientific sense, it could lead us to ask more concrete questions about the world around us. Some of these questions might be related to how human interactions with our environment have affected our health. What are we drinking? Bathing in? We’ll be taking part in the Nitrate Watch Project, a community science initiative empowering volunteers to monitor nitrate pollution in local water sources, like streams, rivers, and wells.

The goal of this project is “to raise awareness, educate residents, and gather data that leads to action for protecting water quality and human health.” We hope to involve as many congregants as possible, including our youth and children, in this hands-on experience. Let’s bring our curious minds outdoors, test our water, and be part of providing data that we and others can use to advocate for clean water practices.

Submitted by Laura McGraw